Napoleon was The Enemy. Of course we mocked him. We always mock our enemies. Mocking our enemies makes them less of a threat. Then many years later, we remember only the jokes, and sometimes forget why they were enemies in the first place. I forsee some poster on The Staight Dope 100 years from now asking “Why do we think Hitler was silly”
Should this be merged with the thread in GQ?
Napoleon was actually more of a friendly acquaintance, of the options. He sold us tons of land and we shared a common enemy: The British. The War of 1812 was against Britain (via Canada), not Napoleonic France.
Okay, he was OUR enemy. Your lot were buddies with him, and we had to admonish you.
Because he was height challenged?
IMHO, it’s not a factual question.
I blame Bugs Bunny.
A kissin’ cousin of Crazy Eddie ?? 
169 centimetres is closer to 5’ 6.5’’. (There are 2.54 centimetres in an inch.)
strange, I put that into google the first time and posted the results, you’re totally correct however. I blame working too damn hard at this school (and today I had to go to an elementary school and teach a demonstration lesson, in front of my principal AND the other school’s principal. Fun!)
Plus, he kept the Mona Lisa hanging in his bedroom and he invented sabering champagne. Or at least his calvary officers made it popular.
He wasn’t, though. He was 5’7", which was just about the national average at the time. The angry dwarf image was a product of British propaganda of the day.
the works of Macaulay are full of characterisations of Napoleon as the vile monster who enslaved half of Europe. But as all the people who lived through that time are long dead passions have long faded and if anyone thinks of Napoleon now, it’s of a tubby little man with one arm stuffed up his sweater saying, “Not tonight, Josephine”.
Note: Napoleon wasn’t French; he was Corsican.
Otherwise, what he said. And him. Oh, and that guy there was right on.
Napoleon also broke The First Cardinal Rule of Warfare:
Never invade Russia in the Winter.
Napoleon didn’t have a chance to break the Second Rule of Warfare (which is not "You do not talk about Warfare, before anyone tries to bring Tyler Durden into this), but if he had the opportunity then I’m pretty sure Napoleon would have indeed been getting involved in Land Wars in Asia.
That alone accounts for at least some of the “silly” reputation, IMHO.
Napoleon was a fascinating person though, and it’s a shame people don’t really know more about him than the Funny Hat/Arm in Shirt/Short/Bad Tempered thing…
Why we associate lunacy with “thinking you’re Napoleon”: Where did we get the idea crazy people think they’re Napoleon? Plus: Did tin disease contribute to Napoleon’s defeat in Russia? - The Straight Dope
I thought it was never get involved in a land war in Asia
Well maybe he wasn’t French but he did lead them and tried to make France ruler of the world.
I mean…Come On, France rule the world?
In your dreams Boney
Although he did run roughshod over Europe there for awhile he also destroyed an entire army to no good end in Russia and then lost again at Waterloo. If he had quit while he was ahead maybe he would have had a more flattering reputation but, as he left it, the versioning of history goes to the victor and he wasn’t it.
Pretend the fellow in this painting said to you “Follow me or die; I am going to conquer the world.”
Even Byron’s famous “Ode to Napoleon Buonoparte” does not in any way render Napoleon as frivolous.
Crazy. Mad. Dangerous, yes; just not silly.